LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfirst conjugation

tentō

tentō (present infinitive tentāre, perfect active tentāvī, supine tentātum)
Classical[ˈtɛn.toː]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛn.to]

Meaning

  1. to handle, touch
  2. to try, test, tempt

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Tentare · Experiri · Periclitari · Periculum · Discrimen

1. Tentare means, to make an experiment, in order to form a judgment of something, from a desire of knowledge, and with activity; periclitari, with courage and contempt of the danger associated with the experiment; experiri, merely to learn something by actual experiment. 2. Periculum denotes danger, as occupying duration, of time; discrimen, as a point of time, as the critical moment and the culminating point of periculum. Liv. vi. 17. In ipso discrimine periculi destituat. (v. 263.)

Conjugation conjugation 1

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.tentōtentābamtentābōtentāvītentāveram
tentāram		tentāverō
tentārō
2nd sg.tentāstentābāstentābistentāvistī
tentāstī		tentāverās
tentārās		tentāveris
tentāris
3rd sg.tentattentābattentābittentāvit
tentāt		tentāverat
tentārat		tentāverit
tentārit
1st pl.tentāmustentābāmustentābimustentāvimus
tentāmus		tentāverāmus
tentārāmus		tentāverimus
tentārimus
2nd pl.tentātistentābātistentābitistentāvistis
tentāstis		tentāverātis
tentārātis		tentāveritis
tentāritis
3rd pl.tentanttentābanttentābunttentāvērunt
tentārunt, tentāvēre		tentāverant
tentārant		tentāverint
tentārint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.tentemtentāremtentāverim
tentārim		tentāvissem
tentāssem
2nd sg.tentēstentārēstentāverīs
tentārīs		tentāvissēs
tentāssēs
3rd sg.tentettentārettentāverit
tentārit		tentāvisset
tentāsset
1st pl.tentēmustentārēmustentāverīmus
tentārīmus		tentāvissēmus
tentāssēmus
2nd pl.tentētistentārētistentāverītis
tentārītis		tentāvissētis
tentāssētis
3rd pl.tententtentārenttentāverint
tentārint		tentāvissent
tentāssent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.tentortentābartentābor
2nd sg.tentāris
tentāre		tentābāris
tentābāre		tentāberis
tentābere
3rd sg.tentāturtentābāturtentābitur
1st pl.tentāmurtentābāmurtentābimur
2nd pl.tentāminītentābāminītentābiminī
3rd pl.tentanturtentābanturtentābuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.tentertentārer
2nd sg.tentēris
tentēre		tentārēris
tentārēre
3rd sg.tentēturtentārētur
1st pl.tentēmurtentārēmur
2nd pl.tentēminītentārēminī
3rd pl.tententurtentārentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.tentātentāre
pres. 2nd pl.tentātetentāminī
fut. 2nd sg.tentātōtentātor
fut. 3rd sg.tentātōtentātor
fut. 2nd pl.tentātōte—
fut. 3rd pl.tentantōtentantor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivetentāretentārī
perfect infinitivetentāvisse
tentāsse		tentātum esse
future infinitivetentātūrum essetentātum īrī
present participletentāns—
perfect participle—tentātus
tentāta, tentātā, tentātae, tentātam, tentātārum, tentātās, tentātī, tentātōrum, tentātōs
future participletentātūrus
tentātūra, tentātūrā, tentātūrae, tentātūram, tentātūrārum, tentātūrās, tentātūre, tentātūrī, tentātūrīs, tentātūrō, tentātūrōrum, tentātūrōs, tentātūrum		tentandus
tentanda, tentandā, tentandae, tentandam, tentandārum, tentandās, tentande, tentandīs, tentandōrum, tentandōs
gerundtentandī, tentandō, tentandumsupinetentātum, tentātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

morbo tentari or corripi
to be attacked by disease.
fortunam tentare, experiri
to try one's luck.
animos tentare (Cluent. 63. 176)
to try to divine a person's disposition.
iter tentare per vim (cf. sect. II. 3)
to force a way, a passage.

tento or tempto, āvi, ātum, 1 (
I. part. gen. plur. tentantum, Verg. G. 2, 247), v. freq. a. tendo, to handle, touch, feel a thing (class.; cf.: tango, tracto).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: rem manu, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62: manibus pectora, Ov. M. 10, 282; 10, 289: loca feminarum digitis, Col. 8, 11, 8: ficum rostro, Ov. F. 2, 254: flumen vix pede (with attingere), Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: quadratum, Lucr. 4, 234: caput in tenebris, Phaedr. 3, 10, 26: pullos singulos, Col. 8, 5, 17: invisos amictus, Verg. G. 3, 563: aciem pugionum, Suet. Ner. 49; cf.: acumen stili, id. Rhet. 5: bracchia emittit temptanti maria similis Sarpedon, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 98: pullos, Col. 8, 5, 17; 8, 11, 8.—
B. In partic.
1. In medic. lang.: venas, to feel the pulse, Quint. 11, 3, 88; Suet. Tib. 72; Ov. H. 20, 139.—
2. To try the strength of, make an attempt upon, i. e. to attack, assail (cf.: aggredior, adorior).
(a). Of warfare: scalis et classe moenia oppidi tentans, Caes. B. C. 3, 40: opera nostra, id. B. G. 7, 73: urbem, Liv. 33, 5, 3; 26, 38, 5: munitiones, id. 9, 35, 1: moenia Aiexandriae, id. 45, 11: Achaiam, Caes. B. C. 3, 55 Britanniam, Suet. Claud. 17: aggredi et tentare, Vell. 2, 113, 3: aliquem auxiliis Thraciae, Flor. 2, 14, 4.—
(b). Of disease, poison, etc.: animi valentes morbo tentari non possunt, corpora possunt, Cic. Tusc. 4, 14, 31; cf.: gravis auctumnus omnem exercitum valetudine tentaverat, Caes. B. C. 3, 2: temptari a morbo, Plin. 24, 19, 113, § 174: praecordiorum inflatione tentari, Suet. Aug. 81: tentatus est motiunculis levibus, id. Vesp. 24; Hor. S. 2, 3, 163; id. Ep. 1, 6, 28; Verg. G. 3, 441 al.: vina temptant caput, attack, affect, Plin. 23, 1, 20, § 35.—Absol.: temptantis aquas non nocere, unwholesome, Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 68; cf. Verg. G. 2, 94.—
II. Transf., to try; to prove, put to the test; to attempt, essay a course of action, etc. (so most freq.; syn.: experior, periclitor).
A. In gen., constr. with acc., with inf., with rel.-clause, with ut, or absol.
(a). With acc.: cum se ipse perspexerit totumque tentarit, intelleget, etc., Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59; cf.: se in arte memoriae, Quint. 11, 2, 34 (preceded by memoriam suam experiri): tentarem te, quo animo accipias, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 3: quo utamur quasi equis temptatis, sic amicitiā aliquā parte periclitatis moribus amicorum, id. Lael. 17, 63; alicujus scientiam auguratus, id. Div. 1, 17, 32: tentarem summi regis prudentiam, id. Tusc. 1, 41, 98: ut satis impulsas tentavit pollice chordas, Ov. M. 10, 145: culturam agelli, Lucr 5, 1368: iter per provinciam per vim, Caes B. G. 1, 14: negatā iter viā, Hor. C. 3, 2, 22 Bosporum, id. ib. 3, 4, 31: Thetim ratibus, Verg. E. 4, 32: Oceanum, Tac. G. 34 fin.: Istrum, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr. 135: aditus, Verg. A. 4, 293: temptanda via est, id. G. 3, 8: ad tentandum vadum fluminis, Curt. 4, 9, 15: nullo modo animus audientis aut incitari aut leniri potest, qui modus a me non tentatus sit, Cic. Or. 38, 132: rem frustra, Caes. B. C. 1, 26: belli fortunam, id. B. G. 1, 36; so, fortunam, id. ib. 3, 6; 7, 64; Sall. J. 7, 1: periculum, Cic. Cornel. Fragm. 1: quaestionem, id. Clu. 57, 157: patientiam vestram, id. Agr. 2, 7, 19: spem pacis, Liv. 21, 12, 3; cf.: spem triumphi, id. 28, 38, 4: libertatem, id. 6, 18, 11: relationem, id. 33, 23, 3: intercessionem, id. 9, 8, 13: silentium nequicquam per praeconem, id. 8, 33, 2: crimina, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 80: majora, id. ib. 1, 17, 24: caelestia, id. ib. 1, 17, 34 et saep.—
(b). With rel.-clause: tentavi, quid in eo genere possem, Cic. Tusc. 1, 4, 7: tentabam, spiraret an non, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 26: quae sit fortuna facillima, temptat, Verg. A. 11, 761: cum tentaret si qua res esset cibi, something to eat, Phaedr. 4, 7, 4: tenta, Chrysogonus quanti doceat, Juv. 7, 175.—
(g). With inf.: aquā prohibere hostem tentare coepit, Hirt. B. G. 8, 40: tentabo etiam de hoc dicere, Quint. 6, 2, 29; 2, 14, 1: (sol) caelum radiis accendere tentans, Lucr. 5, 659: tentarunt aequore tingi, Ov. M. 2, 172: (vestis) frustra tentata revelli, id. ib. 9, 168: taurus irasci in cornua temptat, Verg. A. 12, 104: nemo in sese tentat descendere, Pers. 4, 23: litteras deferre, Curt. 3, 7, 13; Juv. 7, 5.—
(d). With ut: cum ille Romuli senatus tentaret post Romuli excessum, ut ipse gereret sine rege rem publicam, Cic. Rep. 2, 12, 23: quid aliud hoc judicio tentatur, nisi ut id fieri liceat? id. Rosc. Am. 5, 13; Suet. Caes. 11.—Impers. pass.: tentatum a L. Sextio tribuno plebis, ut rogationem ferret, etc., Liv. 4, 49, 6.—(ε) Absol.: tenta quā lubet, Plaut. Aul. 4, 4, 20: ne tentando cautiorem faceret, Hirt. B. G. 8, 23.—
B. In partic., to try any one, in a friendly or hostile manner; to urge, incite; to tempt, sound, tamper with; also, to excite, disquiet, disturb, agitate: quem ego toties omni ratione tentans ad disputandum elicere non potuissem, Cic. de Or. 2, 3, 13: cum per Drusum saepe tentassem, id. ib. 1, 21, 97: utrum admonitus an tentatus an, etc. ... pervenerit ad hanc improbitatem nescio, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 41, § 105: cum a proximis impetrare non possent, ulteriores tentant, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: animos servorum spe et metu, ut, etc., Cic. Clu. 63, 176: animos popularium, Sall. J. 48, 1: animos singulorum ad res novas, Suet. Tib. 12 fin.: animum precando, Verg. A. 4, 113: judicium pecunia, Cic. Clu. 4, 9; 30, 80: aliquem promissis et minis, Tac. H. 1, 75; cf.: tentatā Othonianorum fide per colloquium et promissa, id. ib. 2, 20: tribunos de fugae societate, Suet. Ner. 47: deos multā caede bidentium, Hor. C. 3, 23, 14: Junonem tentare Ixion ausus, Tib. 1, 3, 73; cf. Ov. A. A. 1, 389; Val. Max. 6, 1, 7: nationes lacessere bello et tentare, to agitate, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 9, 23; cf.: ut exsul potius tentare quam consul vexare rem publicam posses, id. Cat. 1, 10, 27: in his rebus evertendis unius hominis senectus, infirmitas solitudoque tentata est, id. Rab. Perd. 1, 2: militis iras, Luc. 2, 529; Vulg. Gen. 22, 1 et saep.

Origins

Descendants
  • Frenchtenter
  • Italiantentare
  • Portuguesetentar
  • Spanishtentar
  • Albaniantentuar
  • Galiciantentar
  • Siciliantintari

Quick answers

What does tentō mean in Latin?
tentō, a verb, means “to handle, touch; to try, test, tempt”.
What are the principal parts of tentō?
tentō, tentāre, tentāvī, tentātum (first conjugation).
How do you pronounce tentō?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɛn.toː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtɛn.to].